1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method and apparatus for providing broadcast content and a system using the same, and, more particularly, to a method and apparatus for providing broadcast content by an adaptive streaming service and a system using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the recent increase in the number of users using online content, the reliable transmission of content has become increasingly important. Thus, adaptive streaming has been introduced, which smoothly adjusts the bitrate of content according to an available transmission bandwidth or a change in the performance of a user device. Adaptive streaming is a technology that optimizes bitrate by analyzing the network environment of a user. Several standardization organizations are discussing HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)-based transmission technologies such as adaptive streaming, in which a user terminal is allowed to select small content units obtained by dividing content depending on the terminal's conditions and play the selected content units, and, thus, the user can receive the content without delay or interruptions.
In the Internet Protocol (IP)-based convergence era, convergence between communication and broadcasting has attracted attention as a new business model that will lead a future-generation market. In particular, IP TeleVision (IPTV) is a technology that provides a reassembled or integrated service of conventional TV, voice, and data services and supports interaction. Thus, IPTV will create various business models and services. IPTV technology provides services to fixed terminals such as a set-top box, Personal Computers (PC), TVs, and the like, mobile terminals such as hand-held phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs), and the like a wired network, a wireless network, and a broadcast network, beyond services customized for conventional limited terminal environments. That is, the IPTV technology provides services irrespective of the types of terminals and networks. Therefore, the same service can be provided and applied to various environments and various services can be created for various environments.
When broadcast content is provided by adaptive streaming, the broadcast content is transmitted based on time, not based on content. Therefore, if a user requests recording of specific content, that content is recorded based on its playtime. In view of the variable length of content inherent to live streaming, the content may not be accurately recorded. If an advertisement is inserted in the middle of content broadcasting, there is no way for a user storage to record only the content by discriminating the content from the advertisement.